Missed opportunities surround Penn State in a 17-16 loss to Virginia

Penn State linebacker Gerald Hodges (6) reacts to a missed Penn State field goal in the final seconds of a 17-16 loss to Virginia on Saturday. (Associated Press -- Andrew Shurtleff)

Penn State kicker Sam Ficken (97) walks off the field after missing a field goal in the final seconds of the team's 17-16 loss to Virginia. (Associated Press -- Andrew Shurtleff)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The victors kept rushing to him, wanting to offer their admiration as well as their condolences.

Finally, even All-America linebacker Gerald Hodges had enough.

"I can't take this anymore," he said, shaking his head, talking to no one in particular.

He wheeled around and finally jogged off the field.

He forced a smile and saluted his Penn State fans as he disappeared into a stadium tunnel and on to another week of trying to figure out how to truly break his Lions from the suffocating turmoil and disappointment of this past year.

Among other things, they will try to work harder, if possible, to earn Bill O'Brien his first win.

For everything good Penn State did here against the Virginia Cavaliers, particularly on defense, something always backfired in this 17-16 heart sinker.

Get quarterback Matt McGloin into a throwing rhythm?

He accidentally bangs his funny bone, not once but twice, on an enemy helmet.

Become the benefactor of sloppy opponent play, those 10 penalties to go with four turnovers?

Then your kicker can't even make an extra point.

Play resilient defense, even growing stronger as the heat and humidity thickened?

Yield only 32 measly rushing yards?

But inexplicably ruin it all by allowing a late, third-down heave to give the home team new life.

So it was simply the fitting cake-topper when that forlorn, spindly kicker named Sam Ficken lined up for that last-second chance to make everything improbably OK again.

Huge raindrops began falling. The snap was low.

Then the ball, once again, sailed wide, setting off a celebration of home Orange and Blue.

So when things are going wrong, like they seemingly have in one fashion or another for Penn State since last November, the smallest became magnified, questioned and replayed over again.

Take this one: O'Brien was rewarded late for his plea for officials to reset the game clock - only to have them, apparently incorrectly, take 10 seconds away instead of adding time.

For his part, O'Brien was much more thoughtful and talkative after this loss than his first.

He was upbeat at times even, considering the circumstances.

Because Penn State is 0-2 for the first time since 2001 - a season that ended with another crushing loss here in Scott Stadium.

"We'll break through," he said. "We just got to keep grinding.

"I think there's some things to build on. I think there are a lot of positives. ... I think they emptied the tank today, and I really appreciate it."

In review of his team's performance, O'Brien and his staff must be pleased with the overall increased effort and productivity of their defense, at least on first and second downs.

As expected, the running was tough for Virginia between the tackles and really proved to be nearly pointless anywhere on the day.

Simply put, it was Penn State's offensive inability to score touchdowns when repeatedly gifted with wondrous field position that kept Virginia hanging around long enough to make late plays that mattered.

And, of course, there were the glaring problems in the kicking game.

It was easily argued that the transfer of punter/kicker Anthony Fera after the NCAA sanctions was the most severe loss for the Lions, even more than star tailback Silas Redd.

But who could have predicted Saturday's meltdown?

Ficken missed early from 40 yards when the Lions threatened to blow it open. He missed wide again from 38 yards in the second quarter.

The real killers, though, were the chip shot 20-yarder he somehow pushed in the third and the blocked extra point early in the fourth.

Afterward, O'Brien and his players were quick to defend Ficken, saying it all should never have come to that point.

McGloin went so far as to try and convince reporters how well Ficken performs in practice, how steady he is.

And, to his credit, all of these missed field goals did at least have enough leg.

"It's never always about the kicker," O'Brien said. "The kicker is always the one who gets blamed.

When asked about Ficken's job security, O'Brien danced a bit. But, aside from reprising last year's shaky experiment with Gettysburg receiver Evan Lewis, the coach might not have another feasible option.

"We'll just have to go back and talk about that (today) as a staff," O'Brien said. "But Sam's our kicker, and we'll see about things we can do to help Sam get better.

"Again, it's not all on the kicker. We had some plays (near the goal line) I could have called better. We could have executed better. It's never always on the kicker."

He mentioned how his pass defense was susceptible to deep stabs down the middle, especially to extra-large receivers and tight ends.

His offense ran the ball more but not necessarily better. The expected return of injured tailback Bill Belton this coming week should be a welcomed salve.

And the seemingly yearly struggle to score touchdowns inside the 25-yard line continues to haunt O'Brien, a most-respected offensive mind.

He knows how easy it will be for a nationally televised audience, and most of Penn State Nation, to simply be muttering about No. 97.

The 6-foot-3 Indiana boy who is only a tick over 170 pounds.

The one who earned a rare kicking scholarship before ever settling on campus.

It was if cruel fates would have that burden be thrust on him one last time Saturday as McGloin passed the Lions through the plopping raindrops into field-goal range in the final moments.

Certainly, Ficken did his best to block out everything from the wet grass to those mocking Virginia fans holding up a "We love you Ficken" sign.

One second remained.

He had already missed more kicks in one day than he had attempted in his brief college career.

Forty-two yards away.

Almost immediately, the ball hooked left.

So the evening would become about consoling one of their own.

And yet Ficken and his kicking will only be part of the work and the long travels ahead.

"I told him," O'Brien said, "that the sun will come up tomorrow."

@YDRPennState; 771-2104

Penn State running back Derek Day (24) breaks a tackle by Virginia's Sammy MacFarlane (44) during the first half of Saturday's game in Charlottesville, Va. (Associated Press -- Andrew Shurtleff)